Many parents experience strong fight over brushing teeth with their toddlers. Most toddlers really dislike this activity, either due to toothpaste taste or number of other potential problems. And we can’t really reason with tiny tots how important is brushing teeth for their overall health.
So here are several ideas you can try running with your toddlers, ideas shared by other parents like you and me, who have been there and fought this same fight with their toddlers. As a result, they succeeded to turn brushing teeth in a daily routine.
With my three kids, the only thing that worked is singing the ‘Here we go around the mulberry bush’ song. I had forgotten about it with my third and she wasn’t brushing … then my sister reminded me. We are back on track. The spitting is where the real trouble comes… we practiced by letting her play with her drinks. Messy but they are just kids!
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Some days my son doesnt want to, other days he will happily oblige.Each night, we read 3 books before light out. My son gets one book for each bedtime task: pajamas, teeth, and potty. If he gives me a hard time or doesnt cooperate about any of this things, he loses a book (sometimes more). This ihas been fantastic for us, as my little bookworm loves his bedtime stories.
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This was a tough one for a while with my son and brushing teeth is still not a favourite activity. However, the best trick that works for my son is to tell him that I see something silly inside his mouth! So, I might say something like, “I see there’s a fire truck inside your mouth today. We better give it a wash. Oh no – it drove over here (start brushing the other side) and now it’s up here (start brushing over there!). It really works with him. If all else fails, I show him my fillings and tell him that “Dr. Reval wants you to brush every day so you don’t get cavities and fillings like me!”
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Let them chew the tooth brush by themselves as soon as they can hold toothbrush (with or without a little bit of toothpaste.) Actually they get quite a lot of cleaning done that way. Read some additional info about how to clean baby’s teeth.
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We have resorted to gimmick toothbrushes in this house. Pook has a flashing toothbrush and the idea is you brush your teeth the whole time it flashes. Still works 3 months on so not a total waste of money!
author at The Adventures of Meemoo and Pook. Follow Gemma on Facebook and Pinterest.
We’ve had to learn this in our household the hard way. After oral surgery on our three year old, we have made brushing our teeth a priority. I usually start by just letting my baby and toddler chew on the toothbrush. At three, I add toothpaste, and let them brush by themselves at night, while I do a double check in the morning. When they reach school age, I give my children a “breath test” to make sure they are using enough toothpaste and brushing long enough. If they fail, meaning I can’t smell the toothpaste, then Mommy brushes their teeth — which is so “embarrassing” on purpose (additional info about our tactics in Brushing Their Teeth article).
author at Mommy Crusader and her Knights and Ladies.
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What helped both of my girls as toddlers is mommy brushing her teeth side by side with them. As in so many other things, this is another opportunity to show them how things should be done by setting an example.
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Here are some of the things that helped with my toddler: 1. Let them choose a toothbrush. 2. Have a ‘brushing’ song. 3. Read a book about brushing. 4. Have them brush your teeth with water while you brush theirs. You may have to keep coming up with creative ways to keep them interested in brushing, or use a combination of techniques.
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RELATED READING:
Brushing song (Sesame Street) and book
Tips for raising an independent toddler
How to Deal with a Moody Toddler
Additional articles by our authors with parenting tips for early years
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My granddaughter dislikes brushing her teeth and it is a daily battle. I have found that using a time seems to make the brushing a little more manageable, she knows that when the timer rings she can stop.
Great idea! Kids love knowing task can be done within time frame!
My 3 year old used to love brushing his teeth. Now he won’t do it unless I brush my teeth with him. These are all great ideas! Thanks for sharing with us over at Mommy needs a timeout thursday.
Handy tips. The reading routine sounds handy
We recently had a breakthrough when I bought my 22 month old an electric toothbrush. He gladly opens up his mouth now and we can do a really good job brushing his teeth. It was such a struggle before!
For my 2 year old we don’t call it brushing we call it tickling. I will tell her it is time to tickle her death and we take turns doing the tickling. The sound of the bristles on her teeth is the laughter, sometimes I have to encourage her to make her teeth laugh louder. She loves to tickle so tickling her teeth works out great
This is a great post! it took me a while to get my son in the routine of tooth brushing!
I started letting my daughter just chew on her toothbrush( when she was 1ish) then when we went to a big girl toothbrush she got to choose it and using an old toothbrush she would brush doras teeth while I did hers,once she was over that she would do It herself with my help or when we have a shower at night she will brush mine and I will do hers. she loves brushing her teeth and in the morning more because she likes to look at herself in the mirror while she does it 🙂
Hi, my little boy was terrible at brushing his teeth, so I told him the tooth fairy would come if he brushed his teeth. Well this worked a treat, I left a penny under his pillow everytime he brushed them. The one time he didn’t brush them I obviously didn’t leave any money and he was mortified, he hasn’t skipped doing his teeth anymore! And another plus was his money box was adding up with all his pennies, he thought he was the richest boy in the land! so cute and so pain free ! hope it helps for you too x
I am a nanny and this is what works for me and the twins I now look after:
They choose their toothbrush in the chemist.
We put toothpaste on and it’s “their turn” then mine. This is to encourage a routine but also for me to ensure the teeth are really brushed 🙂
We have a song:
All the little milk teeth sitting in a row
Brush brush brush brush
And away we go
First do all the front ones then do all the back
Every night and morning just like that.
We live in UK and here the dentist doesn’t encourage spitting as they want the toothpaste to really coat the teeth.
Hope it helps 🙂
Sometimes it seems just impossible to get my kids to brush their teeth. I have been wondering how to help them bruch their teeth. I love the fire truck in the mouth idea and I will use that with my son! Thank you so much for the help!
You’re welcome! Let me know did it work for your kids!